New law expands sick days for NYC workers

On March 19, 2014 Mayor de Blasio signed into law a major expansion of the Earned Sick Time Act that was first enacted last spring. Businesses with 5 + employees who are hired to work more than 80 hours a calendar year are now required to provide paid sick days (an increase from the prior law which only covered businesses with 15+ employees). Workers at smaller businesses will accrue unpaid sick time.

Employers who have one or more domestic workers who have been employed at least one year and who work more than 80 hours a calendar year must provide paid sick leave. The new law includes manufacturing workers, expands the list of family members that workers can legally care for using sick time, and helps the City enforce the law. Employers must comply with the law starting April 1, 2014.

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs has been tapped to administer and enforce the law. They have extensive resources on their website that explains the rights and responsibilities of both employees and employers.

To download these resources visit: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/law/PaidSickLeave.shtml The website provides information about the law in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Italian, Chinese, Korean and Russian. The Department of Consumer Affairs will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule. The public hearing will take place at 10 a.m. on April 29, 2014. The hearing will be in Department of Consumer Affairs hearing room at 66 John Street, 11th Floor, New York, New York.

(Based on Information from Make the Road New York and NYC Department of consumer Affairs)